On Bloody Top: A Purple Kiss Primer
Apr. 1st, 2023 10:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
boulevarddoubleDo you like vocals? Do you like girl groups that are chaos personified? Do you like cute but creepy?
Boy do I have the group for you!
Purple Kiss debuted in March of 2021, though they had dropped two "pre-debut" singles prior. They are Rainbow Bridge World's second-ever girl group, and as such were highly anticipated as Mamamoo's "little sisters". They chose the name Purple Kiss because purple is a color that is made from several others, much like the colors of their voices. I forget where the Kiss comes from. It's probably not that important. I'm a marketer, this is all bullshit anyway.
Originally, PK had seven members, however Park Jieun left the group in November of 2022 due to health reasons. She still frequently posts on the fan cafe, though, to let fans know she's doing well. She's a sweetie and we wish her all the best.
Purple Kiss was intended to be a "conceptless" group, however their debut "Ponzona" had a dark concept, and for the last several comebacks they've been playing on this idea that they're witches. The witch concept started in this Story Film prior to their MemeM album release that is the perfect combination of Wes Andersen and KPop and I adore it.
The fandom name is Plory, and the girls often refer to themselves as Purki.
Unlike my other nugus, PK is from a well-known company in RBW that, while it has its problems, is at least aware they need to spend money on things like MVs, stage costumes, promotion, etc. They have also done a good job getting PK onto various variety shows.
You can even make an argument that PK isn't nugu and I would generally agree with that. If you follow kpop closely, you probably would have heard of them at some point. However, compared to several of their peers, PK is lesser known, and seems to have more international fans than Korean ones based on my very scientific method of comparing the ratios of comments in Korean on YouTube to the ratios of popular groups in Korea.
This could be because they have leaned into the dark concept, and also probably has to do with debuting during a pandemic and competing against such 'instant hit' girl groups as IVE and New Jeans.
Fortunately, Purple Kiss has only one minor scandal to note. During their first ever season's greetings, which was air force themed (which... what?), one of the members had a patch with the Nazi swastika on it. RBW admitted it was their fault for not doing enough to double check the styling, they issued new photocards to replace the ones where it was seen, and that was that.
One of the coolest things about Purple Kiss is that they are partially self produced! Chaein composed and wrote lyrics for several tracks, Yuki wrote like 95% (not an exaggeration really) of her own raps, and other members participated in lyric writing as well. Swan even wrote the lyrics for their debut song, Ponzona!
As of March 21, 2023, they have released five EPs and one holiday single. Individual members have also participated in OSTs.
Into Violet (March 2021) with the title track "Ponzona"
Hide & Seek (September 2021) with the title track "Zombie"
MemeM (March 2022) with the title track "MemeM"
Geekyland (July 2022) with the title track "Nerdy"
Cabin Fever (February 2023) with the title track "Sweet Juice"
This is arranged by age order
Basic Info
Born: Sept 3, 1999 (Virgo)
Position: Main Vocal #1
Roommate:
Pets: Unknown
Why You Should Love Goeun
Were you a theater kid? So was she! Goeun is a bitch who can sing and don't you forget it. I'm not kidding - prior to debuting she was part of an a cappella group.
Her biggest role model in the industry is Taeyeon, and it's easy to see why. They have a similar range and I can't be the only person who thinks they look a little bit alike, too.
But no, really, Goeun's VOICE y'all.
Other Notable Goeun Facts
While Purple Kiss debuted without a leader, Goeun either officially or unofficially is basically their leader. She takes care of the girls when they're running around like crazy people, is extremely competitive (this feels like a leader trait), is apparently a good cook, and her mom is always sending them food and treats to make sure they're eating well, which is very cute.
Goeun's Pre-debut Trailer
Basic Info
Born: February 11, 2000 (Aquarius)
Position: Main Dancer #1, Sub-vocal
Roommate: Yuki
Pets: Unknown
Why You Should Love Dosie
Dosie is the cutest lil demon ever. She is basically their center, and the difference between Dosie in real life and Dosie on stage is huge. Probably one of my favorite Dosie moments is this dance from their Mad at Disney Stagebreak.
She, along with Ireh and Chaein, is considered the "dance line" and they often do the choreography for a lot of their b-sides, including a personal favorite, Cast Pearls Before Swine. She also appeared on the doomed reality show MixNine and that's where she met some of the Dreamcatchers, which is relevant to my interests.
Other Notable Dosie Facts
Dosie is the other cook in the dorm and, famously, can eat the spiciest food out of all the Purki. She is also their secret Variety show weapon. She's basically unflappable in the face of random play dance AND rollercoasters.
Dosie's Pre-Debut Trailer
Basic Info
Born: April 30, 2002 (Taurus)
Position: Main Dancer #2, Sub-vocal
Roommate: Unknown
Pets: Unknown
Why You Should Love Ireh
Ireh is an anthropomorphic Red Bull. I've literally never seen anyone with this much energy and I'm a fan of SuA from Dreamcatcher. She's also unfailingly cute and positive and really just gives so much love to the other members.
Unfortunately, until the recent comeback, Ireh really wasn't given many lines, but she has a fantastic voice (which you can really hear in the debut trailer). She's also probably their best actress (sorry Goeun), which you'll see in their pre-debut ballad "Can We Talk Again" (which I will link in the More Music section).
Other Notable Ireh Facts
A former YG trainee, Ireh is an amazingly powerful dancer. She's the one who loves to do boy group covers. And well, you should just watch this. And maybe this, too.
Ireh's Pre-debut Trailer
(Fun fact: They turned this song into a full-length b-side for the Geekyland EP)
Basic Info
Born: April 30, 2002 (Taurus)
Position: Main Rapper
Roommate: Dosie
Pets: Cat named Gingjjang
Why You Should Love Yuki
As Purki's main (and frequently only) rapper Yuki has already made a name for herself. She is already among the most-credited 4th gen artists because she writes nearly all of her own verses. And by nearly I do really mean like 95%. I can only name like one or two songs where she doesn't have a credit. This is particularly impressive because Yuki is Japanese and only began learning Korean as a trainee!
Unlike some other groups I've seen, Purki really leans into having a japanese member. Yuki is the only one with her own Youtube show, called Yes, Koyuki! where she invites the other girls on and they all attempt to speak Japanese together. It's unbelievably cute.
This one is my favorite - where Chaein & Dosie join her for spicy ramen ranking.
Other Notable Yuki Facts
Yuki is a big fan of horror movies (one of the Yes Koyuki's is her and Chaein going to a VR place to play a horror game) and she has the best laugh EVER. You can always tell when she's having fun.
Yuki's Pre-Debut Trailer
(I need a full-length version asaptually)
Basic Info
Born: December 5, 2002 (Sagittarius)
Position: Vocalist, Dancer, Rapper
Roommate: Unknown
Pets: Two dogs - Willy & Bella
Why You Should Love Chaein
Where to begin. I guess I will start with saying Chaein is my bias, so I have a LOT of feelings I'm trying not to dump in this section.
When you talk about a kpop ace, Chaein is who you are describing. She is part of the vocal line, with a unique tone that actually sounds more western than kpop. She is part of the dance line, helping Ireh & Dosie create choreo for their b-sides. She is their secondary rapper (check out this great clip with Yuki doing Doja Cat's Vegas). And more than that Chaein is their producer, with several credits not just for writing lyrics, but for actually composing.
But the real reason to love Chaein is because she's goddamn wild. I can't remember the exact moment she stole my heart, but here are two moments that cemented it. First, Chaein wins an "end of year" award from the girls of a recorder. Which she promptly sticks up her nose to play. Then, while promoting their Christmas single they took a "family photo" at a variety show and immediately goes "I'm the dog!".
Just watch this.
Other Notable Chaein Facts
A list of songs Chaein has produced for Purple Kiss:
- Can We Talk Again
- Skip Skip
- Period
- 2am
- So Why
- Oh My Gosh
- Joah
- Cursor
- T4ke
Not including their Intro songs, that's roughly 28% of Purki's entire discography at this point. Also they're all fucking bops. Except for the ballads, which are all amazing too, and I don't say that lightly.
Chaein's Pre-Debut Trailer
Basic Info
Born: July 11, 2003 (Cancer)
Position: Main Vocal #2
Roommate: Unknown
Pets: Unknown
Why You Should Love Swan
Swan is firmly in the Golden Maknae category of babies, mostly due to her extremely unique, "foggy" voice. On her radio show, Moonbyul said she'd been hearing about Swan's vocal abilities for years before her debut. In fact, Swan even sang the guide for Chungha's "Snapping" and Mamamoo's "Wind Flower". Again. pre-debut.
In fact, if there's one Purki you probably have already seen in action, it's Swan. She's already been involved in a few singing shows (such as King of the Masked Singer and Immortal Songs 2) and has approximately 1 millon covers on Youtube. She can harmonize with a cardboard box. Here's her Lee Mujin Service episode.
You may also notice Swan isn't your typical kpop stickfigure. One of the best things about this group is I've literally never seen any of the girls comment on her weight, what she eats, what she wears, etc. They adore her.
Other Notable Swan Facts
Swan's father is a math teacher, and so she spent part of her childhood in the Philippines while he was teaching at a school there. Because of this she's a) very good at math, and b) can speak pretty good English and a little bit of Tagalog.
Swan's Pre-Debut Trailer
Okay, I'll stop for now, but you get the point.
Like I mentioned up top, Purple Kiss is one of the wildest girl groups I've seen, especially as Rookies. They always have a good time on variety shows, and especially when it's just themselves. If you watch just one piece of content, let it be their version of the Zombie Game.
They also belong in the competitive karaoke hall of fame.
There are also several FANTASTIC Youtube clip compilations. Like this one. Or perhaps this one.
Listen, they just have the personality of a 12 member group packed into one half the size.
As of writing this, there are 83!!! Purple Kiss fics on Ao3, 73 if you filter out crossovers.
There is no One Ship To Rule Them All, though the most popular seems to be Dosie/Goeun, followed by Ireh/Chaein, Chaein/Goeun, and Dosie/Yuki. I think Dosie/Chaein is an underrated ship (and is not found at all), so would love to see anyone writing that, but that's just me being selfish.
The vast majority of the fics are G/T rated, which happens a lot in girl group fandoms, which is a pity. However, I can kind of understand it here because I'm just so soft for them. If I do end up writing a PK fic at some point, it's probably literally just going to be "purple kiss has a nice day".
ANYWAY, I hope this primer was at least a little bit helpful! Love Purple Kiss, you won't be disappointed.
And if there is anything you'd like to see added to future primers, let me know. Next up will probably be either Nine.i or T.A.N.
Boy do I have the group for you!
Okay, first the basics:
Purple Kiss debuted in March of 2021, though they had dropped two "pre-debut" singles prior. They are Rainbow Bridge World's second-ever girl group, and as such were highly anticipated as Mamamoo's "little sisters". They chose the name Purple Kiss because purple is a color that is made from several others, much like the colors of their voices. I forget where the Kiss comes from. It's probably not that important. I'm a marketer, this is all bullshit anyway.
Originally, PK had seven members, however Park Jieun left the group in November of 2022 due to health reasons. She still frequently posts on the fan cafe, though, to let fans know she's doing well. She's a sweetie and we wish her all the best.
Purple Kiss was intended to be a "conceptless" group, however their debut "Ponzona" had a dark concept, and for the last several comebacks they've been playing on this idea that they're witches. The witch concept started in this Story Film prior to their MemeM album release that is the perfect combination of Wes Andersen and KPop and I adore it.
The fandom name is Plory, and the girls often refer to themselves as Purki.
Unlike my other nugus, PK is from a well-known company in RBW that, while it has its problems, is at least aware they need to spend money on things like MVs, stage costumes, promotion, etc. They have also done a good job getting PK onto various variety shows.
You can even make an argument that PK isn't nugu and I would generally agree with that. If you follow kpop closely, you probably would have heard of them at some point. However, compared to several of their peers, PK is lesser known, and seems to have more international fans than Korean ones based on my very scientific method of comparing the ratios of comments in Korean on YouTube to the ratios of popular groups in Korea.
This could be because they have leaned into the dark concept, and also probably has to do with debuting during a pandemic and competing against such 'instant hit' girl groups as IVE and New Jeans.
Fortunately, Purple Kiss has only one minor scandal to note. During their first ever season's greetings, which was air force themed (which... what?), one of the members had a patch with the Nazi swastika on it. RBW admitted it was their fault for not doing enough to double check the styling, they issued new photocards to replace the ones where it was seen, and that was that.
One of the coolest things about Purple Kiss is that they are partially self produced! Chaein composed and wrote lyrics for several tracks, Yuki wrote like 95% (not an exaggeration really) of her own raps, and other members participated in lyric writing as well. Swan even wrote the lyrics for their debut song, Ponzona!
As of March 21, 2023, they have released five EPs and one holiday single. Individual members have also participated in OSTs.
Into Violet (March 2021) with the title track "Ponzona"
Hide & Seek (September 2021) with the title track "Zombie"
MemeM (March 2022) with the title track "MemeM"
Geekyland (July 2022) with the title track "Nerdy"
Cabin Fever (February 2023) with the title track "Sweet Juice"
Meet Purki!
This is arranged by age order
Na Goeun
Basic Info
Born: Sept 3, 1999 (Virgo)
Position: Main Vocal #1
Roommate:
Pets: Unknown
Why You Should Love Goeun
Were you a theater kid? So was she! Goeun is a bitch who can sing and don't you forget it. I'm not kidding - prior to debuting she was part of an a cappella group.
Her biggest role model in the industry is Taeyeon, and it's easy to see why. They have a similar range and I can't be the only person who thinks they look a little bit alike, too.
But no, really, Goeun's VOICE y'all.
Other Notable Goeun Facts
While Purple Kiss debuted without a leader, Goeun either officially or unofficially is basically their leader. She takes care of the girls when they're running around like crazy people, is extremely competitive (this feels like a leader trait), is apparently a good cook, and her mom is always sending them food and treats to make sure they're eating well, which is very cute.
Goeun's Pre-debut Trailer
Dosie (Jang Eun Seong)
Basic Info
Born: February 11, 2000 (Aquarius)
Position: Main Dancer #1, Sub-vocal
Roommate: Yuki
Pets: Unknown
Why You Should Love Dosie
Dosie is the cutest lil demon ever. She is basically their center, and the difference between Dosie in real life and Dosie on stage is huge. Probably one of my favorite Dosie moments is this dance from their Mad at Disney Stagebreak.
She, along with Ireh and Chaein, is considered the "dance line" and they often do the choreography for a lot of their b-sides, including a personal favorite, Cast Pearls Before Swine. She also appeared on the doomed reality show MixNine and that's where she met some of the Dreamcatchers, which is relevant to my interests.
Other Notable Dosie Facts
Dosie is the other cook in the dorm and, famously, can eat the spiciest food out of all the Purki. She is also their secret Variety show weapon. She's basically unflappable in the face of random play dance AND rollercoasters.
Dosie's Pre-Debut Trailer
Ireh (Cho Seo Young)
Basic Info
Born: April 30, 2002 (Taurus)
Position: Main Dancer #2, Sub-vocal
Roommate: Unknown
Pets: Unknown
Why You Should Love Ireh
Ireh is an anthropomorphic Red Bull. I've literally never seen anyone with this much energy and I'm a fan of SuA from Dreamcatcher. She's also unfailingly cute and positive and really just gives so much love to the other members.
Unfortunately, until the recent comeback, Ireh really wasn't given many lines, but she has a fantastic voice (which you can really hear in the debut trailer). She's also probably their best actress (sorry Goeun), which you'll see in their pre-debut ballad "Can We Talk Again" (which I will link in the More Music section).
Other Notable Ireh Facts
A former YG trainee, Ireh is an amazingly powerful dancer. She's the one who loves to do boy group covers. And well, you should just watch this. And maybe this, too.
Ireh's Pre-debut Trailer
(Fun fact: They turned this song into a full-length b-side for the Geekyland EP)
Yuki (Mori Koyuki)
Basic Info
Born: April 30, 2002 (Taurus)
Position: Main Rapper
Roommate: Dosie
Pets: Cat named Gingjjang
Why You Should Love Yuki
As Purki's main (and frequently only) rapper Yuki has already made a name for herself. She is already among the most-credited 4th gen artists because she writes nearly all of her own verses. And by nearly I do really mean like 95%. I can only name like one or two songs where she doesn't have a credit. This is particularly impressive because Yuki is Japanese and only began learning Korean as a trainee!
Unlike some other groups I've seen, Purki really leans into having a japanese member. Yuki is the only one with her own Youtube show, called Yes, Koyuki! where she invites the other girls on and they all attempt to speak Japanese together. It's unbelievably cute.
This one is my favorite - where Chaein & Dosie join her for spicy ramen ranking.
Other Notable Yuki Facts
Yuki is a big fan of horror movies (one of the Yes Koyuki's is her and Chaein going to a VR place to play a horror game) and she has the best laugh EVER. You can always tell when she's having fun.
Yuki's Pre-Debut Trailer
(I need a full-length version asaptually)
Chaein (Lee Chae Young)
Basic Info
Born: December 5, 2002 (Sagittarius)
Position: Vocalist, Dancer, Rapper
Roommate: Unknown
Pets: Two dogs - Willy & Bella
Why You Should Love Chaein
Where to begin. I guess I will start with saying Chaein is my bias, so I have a LOT of feelings I'm trying not to dump in this section.
When you talk about a kpop ace, Chaein is who you are describing. She is part of the vocal line, with a unique tone that actually sounds more western than kpop. She is part of the dance line, helping Ireh & Dosie create choreo for their b-sides. She is their secondary rapper (check out this great clip with Yuki doing Doja Cat's Vegas). And more than that Chaein is their producer, with several credits not just for writing lyrics, but for actually composing.
But the real reason to love Chaein is because she's goddamn wild. I can't remember the exact moment she stole my heart, but here are two moments that cemented it. First, Chaein wins an "end of year" award from the girls of a recorder. Which she promptly sticks up her nose to play. Then, while promoting their Christmas single they took a "family photo" at a variety show and immediately goes "I'm the dog!".
Just watch this.
Other Notable Chaein Facts
A list of songs Chaein has produced for Purple Kiss:
- Can We Talk Again
- Skip Skip
- Period
- 2am
- So Why
- Oh My Gosh
- Joah
- Cursor
- T4ke
Not including their Intro songs, that's roughly 28% of Purki's entire discography at this point. Also they're all fucking bops. Except for the ballads, which are all amazing too, and I don't say that lightly.
Chaein's Pre-Debut Trailer
Swan (Park Su Jin)
Basic Info
Born: July 11, 2003 (Cancer)
Position: Main Vocal #2
Roommate: Unknown
Pets: Unknown
Why You Should Love Swan
Swan is firmly in the Golden Maknae category of babies, mostly due to her extremely unique, "foggy" voice. On her radio show, Moonbyul said she'd been hearing about Swan's vocal abilities for years before her debut. In fact, Swan even sang the guide for Chungha's "Snapping" and Mamamoo's "Wind Flower". Again. pre-debut.
In fact, if there's one Purki you probably have already seen in action, it's Swan. She's already been involved in a few singing shows (such as King of the Masked Singer and Immortal Songs 2) and has approximately 1 millon covers on Youtube. She can harmonize with a cardboard box. Here's her Lee Mujin Service episode.
You may also notice Swan isn't your typical kpop stickfigure. One of the best things about this group is I've literally never seen any of the girls comment on her weight, what she eats, what she wears, etc. They adore her.
Other Notable Swan Facts
Swan's father is a math teacher, and so she spent part of her childhood in the Philippines while he was teaching at a school there. Because of this she's a) very good at math, and b) can speak pretty good English and a little bit of Tagalog.
Swan's Pre-Debut Trailer
Okay but LISTEN
So I asked a friend, "As a casual PK fan, what drew you to them?" and they responded, "While their choreo is fun, it's that their music fucks." And I have to agree. First, I hate ballads. I find them boring and skippable, no matter who is singing (yes, even Victon's Seungsik). But Purple Kiss has BALLAD RIGHTS. They're SO GOOD. Also their B-Sides are fucking AMAZING. Like. You ALWAYS have to listen to the full album.Okay, I'll stop for now, but you get the point.
Girl Content
Like I mentioned up top, Purple Kiss is one of the wildest girl groups I've seen, especially as Rookies. They always have a good time on variety shows, and especially when it's just themselves. If you watch just one piece of content, let it be their version of the Zombie Game.
They also belong in the competitive karaoke hall of fame.
There are also several FANTASTIC Youtube clip compilations. Like this one. Or perhaps this one.
Listen, they just have the personality of a 12 member group packed into one half the size.
Ships
As of writing this, there are 83!!! Purple Kiss fics on Ao3, 73 if you filter out crossovers.
There is no One Ship To Rule Them All, though the most popular seems to be Dosie/Goeun, followed by Ireh/Chaein, Chaein/Goeun, and Dosie/Yuki. I think Dosie/Chaein is an underrated ship (and is not found at all), so would love to see anyone writing that, but that's just me being selfish.
The vast majority of the fics are G/T rated, which happens a lot in girl group fandoms, which is a pity. However, I can kind of understand it here because I'm just so soft for them. If I do end up writing a PK fic at some point, it's probably literally just going to be "purple kiss has a nice day".
ANYWAY, I hope this primer was at least a little bit helpful! Love Purple Kiss, you won't be disappointed.
And if there is anything you'd like to see added to future primers, let me know. Next up will probably be either Nine.i or T.A.N.
